Dirigible airship.



E. SEELIGE DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1910.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

, 2 SHEETS-$311131 1.

SSNVENTOR. EDMUND EELKS.

b (u-SQWL 3 fitiorne E. SEELIG. '-DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP. nruonxox rILnn MAR. 11, 1910.

Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 14, 1911,

Application filed March 11, 1910. Serial No. 548,649.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDMUND SEELIG, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful lmpiovement in Dirigible Airships, of which the following i. a specification.

This invention relates to that class of dirigible airship which is supported by acre stats. In known .airships of this kind as also in rigid, semi-rigid and in non-rigid systems the car carrying the passengers and the machinery is arranged beneath the aerostat and either flexibly connected therewith by means of ropes or rigidly connected with the balloon body. The disadvantages of this arrangement consist firstly in the dangerof explosion especially when explosion motors are used to propel the airship as ascending flames or hot gases might cause an explosion of the gas in'the acrostat. Secondly the aerostat is not protected against rotating parts which may be thrown off by centrifugal force; such as for example, propeller blades; Again, landing from. cars ar ranged beneath" the aerostat in 'flexible or semi-rigid systems is attended with. greatdilti-ulty and the utmost caution must be maintained because in such cases the most sensitive and least resilient part, namely the car first comes in contact with the ground.

vent dangerous pressures, gas must he rcsuperfluous. The platform in combination 95 4o leased on account of the extension of the with the particular formation of the aeroinclosed gas. \Vhen the airship reac es stat further permits the arrangement of a colder zones and the temperature falls the verti ral heel in the center of the ship l) gas in the intcrior of the ballon contracts means of which the stability is considerabli so that; the balloon envelop becomes slack enhanced durin fli ht, Thi k l i -6- 10 air so that the necessary rigidity of the 011- is a transverse sectional view taken on line velop may be maintained even with a reduc- 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the tion in the buoyancy. airship. The subject of this invention an llll- Over the aerostat Which may be (if-extendproved-dirigible airship which avoids these ed torpedo shape is arranged a platform 2 two-principal disadvantages namely the arwhich on ascent 0r descent and also in hori- 110 A further disadvantage of known dirigible airships supported by aerostats consists in this that these aerostats when filled with gas have a constant volume so that on rise of temperature taking place as for example When the airship reaches warm layers of air or is heated by the sun, in order to pre or if this is to be prevented as is necessary in nonrigid and se'l'ni-rigid systems, balloonets must be provided in the interior of the aerostat which must be pumped'full of rangementof a 'car beneath the acrostats and thevconstant volume of the same in tent condition and thereby imparts a number of further advantages which are hcreina liter pointed out.

The main feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of a platform tcting after the manner of an aeroplane 1nd form ing the supporting frame and arranged. over the acrostat in connection with the special formation of the acrostat itself maintaining the yariable volume in a. continually taut condition.

The aerostat consists of an envelop laid over rigid ribs, the ends of which envelop are stretched over rollers arranged adjacent one another and controlled by weights or springs so that when the pressure in the interior of the envelop increases, the en velop is moved outward against the action of the weights or springs and therev'ith the space inclosed is enlarged while w 1611 pressure falls the envelop under the action of the weights or springs moves inward,

the space in. the interior being thereby roduce'd.

The arrangement (if the platform above the aerpstat further allows the direct drive of the propellers from the motors and lurther permits an extremely precise eleva ition and descent by shifting the center of Special elevating planes are therefore quite vided with planes arranged in recesses therein.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 l5 a side 'GlQVfll'lOl] of the al 'ship; Fig-2 zontal flight acts on the airships after the manner of an aeroplane; On this olatfc rm 2, the casing or compartment 3 carrying the machinery and passengers is movab'ly mounted in the following mention-On supports 4 on the platform 2 is arranged A) platform 5, and on these supports suitable closures may be carried, so that a passage open at the front and closed at both sides is formed between the two platforms 2' and 5. In this passage are arranged the pro pellers 6 which preferably are arranged symmetrically with respect to the motors 7 and are directly coupled therewith. A set of propellersand motors are amt-ang ed atthe forward end and a; set at the rear eml of this passage between platforms 2 end 5. This arrangement of the propellers causes the air drawn in to be Well guarded and thereby fives to the propellers a high efliciency he easing or cabinflii in which the propellers 6 together with the motors 7" are carried, is movable longitudinall of the platform 5 on rollers 8' so that to center of gravit of the Whole airship can be moved forward or rearward according to the position of this easing or compartment 3 and therewith the vertical direction of flight may be con-trolled. The control and regulation oi motors 7 and of the elevantion can be e'fiected either from inside the'cesing ,3- or frol'n'a; brid'gefl9 from which all the steering members may be o erated.

Vertically beneath the center of the platform 5 is arra'nged a rigid plate 10, serving or acting as a keel and also serving to carry the skeleton of the zierostat. In the lower part of this plate 10 and in suitable opehi-ngs therein; are provided plat-Hes l1 pivoted about horizontal axes and 1] ones-11 pivoted about vertical axes. Th

"eel-"10 end the pivoted planes ll and 11 increase the liftl'fll stability of the flying machine to a considerable extent-. The operation of the planes 11 is controlled from the bridge 9' by means of caps-tans 12 and a ehei-n ropeor belt drive 13. The fidjiustment of "ep'lanes 1 1- 011 the otherhzt' is e'fieete'd b' means of a chain or belt (1 ve actuated rem a smell car 14 suspended at the lower end of the keel.

At the rear end oft-he airshi is further provided a rudder, I7 pivotede iout a veradspted to b'e eontroll ea from go e by means 7 th'r the med-inn: oi rope, belt or chain dri 9'.

v j aerostots are arranged beneath the platf his the following men-nor. These are; formed tram rods bent to an appfiemmetel y semi-cylindrical shape se'- V curedl to the keel 10" by bolts20-and forming with emneerirlg strips the skeletons of the oerostittsl Over the skeletons-ere laid the balloon envelope 2'2" and 23 one edge of each of which is rigidly secured to the bolts 20, while the other edges are weighted by Weights 29 and are guided over rollers 25 v ished.

of a cepston 1 8] carried adjacent one another on the keel l0. In the construction shown in the drawings the lower edgesotthe balloon envelops are movable but the reverse may be the case,

- rollers 28 moi'ln' ted onthe rods 21 and also over rotlers and are Weigh ted Weigh-ts 24. There will be no leeks-go between the lower edges of the envelope the gas floats in the upper part th=e-reo-'l'.- It i clear that on rrse of pressure in the interior of the sp'zrce ln'Ql'OSdf b the envelops 22 and 23 and subdivided by tie envelops 2'6 and 27, these.

envelope move outward; against the action of the Weights Q-l and 29 so that the Whole size of the balloon increases, Whereas when the pressure decreases the envelope; move inward under the action of the weights 24 and 29 the s mce in =losed being thereby dimin- -n this manner an uerostzrt having a variable capacity according to the gas pressure and having. continuously tent surface isproduced and the disadvantages present in balloonso-f constant volumes are avoided. Inorder to protect the aerostat fIOWl the suns rays and thereby also to prevent loss in diffusion of the eses blinds 30 be hung at the' si'des o the pletforrnQ. These v may be pulled down by means of cords 31 from the: basket 14 but can be raised by winjdlasses on the platform 2.

For greater; safety over the aerosta-ts and over the platform 2 are arranged four bellon-n'ets which oreeonnected by extensive bellows. These bello'nnets are normally filled three uartersfull of gas ail-(litre connected with the eerostats by valves controlled from the bridge 9. In case of dis-on age to the mai-iraerostets and escape of the tliei-efrom connecting valves to the" 'ellonnets- 33 are openedv from the bridge 9 so that gee manyflew into these rtu 'liary bal- Icons 33 These auxiliary tulle note can be used as parachutes after} the cord- 36- is detech-ed when the airship is felling too rgpidl-y. The center of gravity of the-mirsbip is well below the center-of brmywncy, as the framework of the keel relativel heavy while ports above the center of buevanc are rele'ttivel li ht! Who-ta desire toseehreby Letters Patent 1's:'-

1. diri'gi'ble airship comprising gas contain'in-K bodies, an aeroplane arranged above sai' bodies and ir'lcreasin'g'tlle lifting effect thereof, a carriage upon the aeroplane and movable; longitudinally thereon after the manner of a traveling crane, and pro pelling machinery in. said carriage, the movement of said carriage varying the inclination of the airship horizontally, for the ascent ordescent of the same.-

2. A dirigilzlle airship comprising gas containing bodies, two platforms acting as ae-ro-. planes and arranged over the said bodies, a carriage movable longitudinally of said platforms, propelling machinery on said carriage, a keel arranged beneath said platforms and rigidly'connected tl'lerewith and provided with openings, and horizontally and vertically pivoted planes in. said. openings.

3. A dirigible airship comprising a pair Offl'ul'llGS, lower rollers disposed below the frames, envelops disposed over said frames and guided over said rollers, upper rollers in the upper part of the frame, and additional envelops guided diagonally of the first envelops and over the upper and lower rollers, and weights below the lower rollers and attached. respectively to the edges of the several envelops.

4:; A dirigible airship comprisinga pair of frames, lower rollers disposed below the, frames, envelops disposed over said frames and guided over said rollers, upper rollers in the upper part of the frame, and 'addi-.

t-ional envelops guided diagonally of the first envelops and over the upper and 10 War rollers, and weights below the lower rollersattached respectively to the edges of the several envelops, and lateral blinds enspended at the outer sides of the envelope for protecting the same from the rays of the platforms, propelling machinery on said carriage, a keel arranged beneath said plat forms and rigidly connected therewith and provided with openings, horizontally and vertically pivoted planes in said openings, ballonnets arranged over said bodies and pipes connecting the ballonnets with the bodies, said bodies being adapted to alter their shape accordingto the pressure in the interior thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND SEELIG. Witnesses:

,IHENRY Hnsrnn,

WOLDEMAR Hanrr. 

